[176] At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Now at that time the Blessed One was in many ways giving talk on the unattractive (asubha) to the bhikkhus (bhikkhū); he spoke in praise of the unattractive, he spoke in praise of the development of the unattractive, and, singling it out again and again, he spoke in praise of the attainment of the unattractive. Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, I wish to go into seclusion (paṭisallīyituṃ) for half a month. I am not to be approached by anyone, except by the one who brings the almsfood." "Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One; and indeed no one approached the Blessed One, except the one who brought the almsfood.
Then those bhikkhus, [reflecting,] "The Blessed One in many ways gives talk on the unattractive; he speaks in praise of the unattractive, he speaks in praise of the development of the unattractive, and, singling it out again and again, he speaks in praise of the attainment of the unattractive," dwelt devoted to the practice of developing the unattractive in its many aspects and modes. They became troubled by their own bodies, ashamed of them, disgusted with them. Just as a woman or a man—young, youthful, fond of adornment, with head freshly bathed—would be troubled, ashamed, and disgusted by the carcass of a snake, or the carcass of a dog, or the carcass of a human being hung around the neck, even so those bhikkhus, being troubled by, ashamed of, and disgusted with their own bodies, deprived themselves of life, deprived one another of life, and, approaching Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic (samaṇakuttaka), spoke thus: "It would be good, friend, if you would deprive us of life; this bowl and robe shall be yours."
Then Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic, hired with bowls and robes, having deprived many bhikkhus of life, took the blood-stained sword and went to the river Vaggumudā. Then, as Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic was washing that blood-stained sword, remorse arose in him, regret arose: "Truly it is no gain for me; truly there is no gain of mine. Truly it was ill-gotten by me; truly it was not well-gotten by me. Much demerit indeed has been produced by me, in that I have deprived of life bhikkhus who were virtuous and of good character."
Then a certain deity of Māra's host, coming across the water without breaking its surface, said this to Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic: "Good, good, worthy man! It is a gain for you, worthy man; it is well-gotten by you, worthy man; much merit, worthy man, has been produced by you, in that you bring across those who have not yet crossed over."
Then Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic, [thinking,] "It is a gain for me, it seems; it is well-gotten by me, it seems; much merit, it seems, has been produced by me; I bring across, it seems, those who have not yet crossed over," took a sharp sword and, going from dwelling to dwelling, from cell to cell, spoke thus: "Who has not crossed over? Whom shall I bring across?"
Thereupon, those bhikkhus who were not free from lust—for them at that time there was fear, there was terror, there was horripilation. But those bhikkhus who were free from lust—for them at that time there was no fear, no terror, no horripilation. Then Migalaṇḍika the sham ascetic deprived even one bhikkhu of life in a single day; he deprived two bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived three bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived four bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived five bhikkhus of life in a single day … he deprived ten bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived twenty bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived thirty bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived forty bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived fifty bhikkhus of life in a single day; he deprived sixty bhikkhus of life in a single day.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.